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    Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal
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    Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal
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    Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal
    Ebook383 pages6 hours

    Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal

    By Conor Grennan

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    “Funny, touching, tragic….A remarkable tale of corruption, child trafficking and civil war in a far away land—and one man’s extraordinary quest to reunite lost Nepalese children with their parents.”
    —Neil White, author of In the Sanctuary of Outcasts

    Little Princes is the epic story of Conor Grennan’s battle to save the lost children of Nepal and how he found himself in the process. Part Three Cups of Tea, part Into Thin Air, Grennan’s remarkable memoir is at once gripping and inspirational, and it carries us deep into an exotic world that most readers know little about.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJan 25, 2011
    ISBN9780062042439
    Author

    Conor Grennan

    Conor Grennan is the author of the New York Times bestselling and #1 international bestselling memoir Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal. The memoir shares Grennan’s humanitarian work as the founder of Next Generation Nepal (NGN), a nonprofit organization dedicated to reconnecting trafficked children with their families in Nepal. Little Princes has been shortlisted for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, was the winner of the GoodReads 2011 Best Travel and Outdoors Award, and has been translated into 15 languages. Following publication, Grennan spoke about the book across North America and particularly enjoyed sharing his story with young people at secondary schools and colleges. For his work with the trafficked children of Nepal, Grennan was recognized by The Huffington Post as a 2011 Game Changer of the Year. In 2014, he was also named a recipient of the Unsung Heroes of Compassion, which was awarded to him by the Dalai Lama. Grennan is the dean of MBA students at the NYU Stern School of Business. Currently he resides in New Canaan, Connecticut, with his wife, Liz, and his two children, Finn and Lucy.

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    Reviews for Little Princes

    4.5/5

    58 ratings102 reviews

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    • 5/5
      When the author decided to volunteer at an orphanage in Nepal for three months, he had no idea how deeply he would become involved with the children, nor that he would make it his mission to rescue children who had been trafficked. I loved this book. The children's stories were compelling, and the children were so charming and resilient.The only drawback is that is is similar to Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen, which I loved, but whose veracity was called into question. That is why I read this more as fiction rather than non-fiction. Still, I know that there is a large kernal of truth to the book. I'm sure that child trafficking does go on in the manner described, and is often times even more horrible. Nepal was, and still is, mostly unstable. I don't think that those facts can be disputed.
    • 4/5
      This book is a great testament to the will of the human spirit and the courage to confront adversity in a non-violent manner. There is plenty to love within the story, especially when considering that the children and people of Nepal, a country considered to be more agrarian and traditional than others, can be humble and happy with the simple things in life. Many of the characters enjoy pop culture phenomena such as Bollywood, but on the other hand, can be so content with a soccer ball made of burlap and newspaper.

      Overall, the book is able to accomplish everything it sets out to, but for anyone looking for guns blazing and a great deal of violence, you will need to look elsewhere. The one character that is meant to be despised adds a bit of intensity to an otherwise straightforward day-to-day memoir about an American man's attempt to bring about change for the innocent people of Nepal. The particular villainous character is a child trafficker, and as an outside observer, you will want to pull for the good guys and see an ultimate downfall to the oppressors of the story.
    • 5/5
      Conor Grennan thought that spending three months in Nepal volunteering at an orphanage would make him seem exciting, soulful, and more appealing to women he might meet in bars. He did not expect that those three months would lead to an entirely new career: saving children trafficked in Nepal, and getting them home to their families. This book tells his story, from his first arrival at Little Princes orphanage, where he's dogpiled by enthusiastic children, to his founding of Next Generation Nepal, a charity dedicated to returning children home.Grennan is a charming, funny, and self-deprecating writer, and you sympathize immediately with his realization that he is entirely out of his depth helping take care of eighteen orphans in a foreign country. There's more to this story, however. Grennan learns that in many cases, these children are not orphans, but were taken from their families by a man who promised to get them an education and good care - often after demanding every penny the family could scrape together for a fee. The children are then used as beggars, or as bait for tourists who donate money for their "care". If they are lucky, they end up in places like Little Princes, though they rarely, if ever, return to their real families.The story at the heart of this book is often a dark one, and Grennan does not shy away from it. However, he avoids melodrama - the emotions of the children and their families are honest, clear, and never overdone. Along the way, we get to know the children - by turns funny, smart, and always fully-realized little people. We also travel across Nepal, a country torn by a civil war, where broad sections of the population live in dire poverty in the shadows of the towering Himalayas. I was gripped by this book from the first pages, and tore through it as quickly as possible. Sometimes it made me laugh out loud, usually at Grennan's fish-out-of-water experiences in Nepal, or at the playful children at Little Princes. And sometimes it made me cry, as families who had not heard from their children for years were reunited with them at last.Overall, this is a fantastic book - Grennan is a engaging writer, and his story is inherently compelling. I recommend this book highly to anyone with an interest in foreign cultures, the needs of children, or just a really well-told story.
    • 5/5
      I finally finished reading this book. I had started earlier but due to a family illness I had to postpone reading Little Princes until now. What a magnificent book!!!!!! By far, this is the best true story that I have ever read. The story of the Nepalese children is gripping and shocking and wonderful and incredible. What Conor and Farid accomplished is a story well worth reading and Conor's humor which is intermingled throughout the book is delightful.I highly recommend this book to everyone and I am off to see how I can support NGN in any way that I can.
    • 5/5
      It’s been a long time since I picked up a book I absolutely could not put down until I gulped down the whole thing. Only because I had to do trivial things like eat, bathe, and work, did I ever put Little Princes down in the three days I took to read it. Grennan is honest about his trepidation in the beginning of having to take care of the children but maintains his sense of humor throughout. In simple prose, Grennan brings you right into the lives of these lost children and the people of Nepal. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the plight of some of the world’s children.
    • 4/5
      A really fascinating and engaging book about Nepal, child trafficking, and finding yourself. It was a good lesson on another part of the world that we rarely hear about in America, and makes you reconsider your own 'problems.' But even while writing about really sad situations, the book maintained an overall heartwarming tone and at times was laugh-out-loud funny. The people are all well described and characterized making the story really come to life. Very similar in many ways to Three Cups of Tea but better written. I did wish, however, that there were more details about the formation of the organization and description of how he raised money and got it off the ground. It all seemed to come together so easily, which probably isn't true. And then at the end there was mention of his saying goodbye to all the staff at his orphanage, yet none of these people had been mentioned before--I kept imagining only he and Farid running it. He also mentioned needing to go back to New York to help with some fundraisers--did he have a staff there? For a book raising money for an organization, it would have been interesting to know a little more about it, along with the narrative.
    • 4/5
      I truly enjoyed reading 'Little Princes'. This book is about the volunteer experience of author Conor Grennan in an orphanage in Nepal. When he first sets out to go to Nepal he thinks this experience will only serve as a resume booster and to impress other people, but in the end the experience changes him. Working with the orphaned children touches him so deeply that he eventually decides to create "Next Generation Nepal" an organization which helps to reconnect trafficked Nepalese children with their parents. It's a raw and honest account and the author isn't afraid to admit his mistakes and talk about his struggles. It's an inspiring and captivating read. Highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      Mr. Grennan shows the reader what it means to care, really care. He not only rescued Nepali children from trafficking, but reunited them with their families at his own peril. His bravery was amazing and only out measured by his compassion. The book had the added bonus of a delightful love story.
    • 5/5
      I bought this last week... sat down to flip through it... and then, as they say on teh internets, "I accidentally the whole thing!!1!".This is one of those memoir/travel/world issue books, in this case written by a young man who'd intended to spend all his savings on a trip around the world before heading back to his comfortable life... but found himself so impacted by the children at an orphanage in Nepal where he volunteered, that he ended up making that his life's work instead.The book is fascinating, heartbreaking, and hopeful. I don't have a whole lot to say about it, but I guarantee that your heart will pound and your jaw will drop as Grennan and the other orphanage volunteers discover a child trafficking ring, try to break the trafficker's power, and do absolutely crazy things like hike across Nepal to find the parents of the children who, truth be told, are not orphans at all (not a spoiler, it's on the back of the book). One of the most incredible sections of the book is when Grennan goes searching for seven children he'd seen inside a woman's house... the children had been hidden there forcibly by a child trafficker, and Grennan found a safe place to extract the children to. But by the time the rescuers arrived, the children were gone. Rather than give them up for lost among the millions of Nepali children, Grennan vows to find them. All of them.This is one book you don't want to miss.
    • 5/5
      I was prepared to like this book. What is not to like? A story of a man who goes to Nepal and finds his calling to help the children of the country at first in the orphanages and eventually trying to reunite them with their parents. It sounds wonderful doesn't it? And it is, but it is so much more. I was struck with the fact that the author is very open in the beginning that he first went to Nepal to help in an orphanage just to have something to talk about or put on his resume. Pretty selfish isn't it? But who isn't like that? Honestly?Then something changes, the children creep into Conor's heart and begin to bless him as he helps out in the children's home. As Conor learns more about the civil war in the country and the people that take the children from their parents to a life of slavery, you see Conor change and then he wants to help change the country and the children. The story is gripping. I had a hard time putting it down. I wanted to know what challenge Conor would get through next. Would he find the children, would he find the parents and just what could he do in this poor country where children are taken from their parents with the guise of helping them find a better life, but in reality are sold into child slavery.Through fund-raising and sheer will, Conor accomplished most of his goals with his friend Farid and help of others with other organizations in Nepal. He started a non-profit, Next Generation Nepal to help these children, to start his own home for them and with the help of others he is accomplishing his goals still to this day. It is just a marvelous tale of things happening for him and the children at just the right time. Of course there are trials, but Conor grows and learns to accept things as they happen.And the book is not only about his journey to help the children of Nepal, but it also has glimpses of his personal life at the time. I loved every aspect of this book and I hope Conor Grennan writes another book as he continues his plight to help these children and parents in Nepal. I love that this book opens up this struggle to the world and we as readers can see what is going on and find ways to help as well. The book is inspiring, uplifting and just amazing. I already know it will be one of my top reads of the year.
    • 5/5
      I haven't been moved by a story like I was with Conor Grennan's in a long time. Perhaps it was becasue I am a parent, but I don't think so. This well written memoir tells the story of the three plus years the author spent working in Nepal with children who were victims of child traffikers and the organization he was compelled to start, Next Generation Nepal, which works to reunite these children with their families. It is an amazing story, a kind that if written as ficiton, critics would criticize as too unbelievable. It is heart wrenching at times, more than once I found myself with tears in my eyes. But it is also a story filled with humor and determination, and hope and grace. I can only say I am so glad I read this story. Do yourself a favor and read it too.
    • 5/5
      Shocking but beautiful.This was an excellent book, certainly deserving of its comparison to Three Cups of Tea (Greg Mortenson).From the start I liked the author and his self depreciating explantion for his visit to Nepal - a bit of volunteering would make the whole exercise of world travel, seem more valid. Little did he know what a profound effect the children would have on him.He's a typical American lad when he arrives at the Little Princes Orphanage in Nepal, he has had no previous contact with children and is baffled by the behaviour of the eighteen youngsters who launch themselves at him as he steps through the gate. In spite of their tough lives, these children are adorable and Connor settles down to the routine that is to be his life for the next 3 months.Most volunteers do their 3 month stint and then leave, but the children get under his skin and he decides to pay them another visit before returning to America.It was around this time that he discovered that the children were not really orphans but victims of child trafficking, the majority of them having living parents.And what was his response? He threw himself whole-heartedly into a search for their parents in the rugged terains of Nepal.I couldn't put this book down, it was a fantastic read, all the better for being true.It is our book group choice for next week and I am really looking forward to sharing it. A book that everyone should read.
    • 4/5
      When Conor Grennan graduates from college, he decides he's going to use his life savings to travel around the world for a year before getting down to business and finding a job. Though he's mostly a free spirit and just wants to see the sights, he'll spend the first three months volunteering at a children's home in Nepal. Grennan doesn't sugarcoat things when he admits that this plan took shape because he wanted to impress his friends, family and colleagues. But when Conor arrives at The Little Princes Children's Home in Nepal, his world begins to change. At first scared of the lovable mob of children that tackle him to the ground, Conor begins to interact with them on a deep and paternal level that leaves his heart wide open.All these children are the victims of child trafficking. Their parents, living in some of the most remote and poor villages in the world, were tricked into paying a benefactor to house, feed and educate them, hoping that their children will have a better fate than they would have had they stayed in the village. After collecting the children and the money, this malevolent benefactor uses the children as bait to attract foreign donations, ostensibly for the children's care. These children are then abandoned at random villages where they often become malnourished and ill. When the directors of The Little Princes Children's Home eventually come into possession of them, they are finally safe and able to begin a new life. But it's not always that easy, as more and more parents are being lured into giving their children away to the evil man known as Golkka. Although Conor and his colleagues wish to reunite these children with their families, scores of children show up at the doors of the children's home and others like it. When Conor takes on a double mission to find seven stolen children and to reunite several others with their family and village, he steps into a world of danger and corruption. Will he be able to find those unlucky seven and reunite the others with their families before time runs out? As Conor gets increasingly invested in the children and their fates, his life begins to change and he comes to realize that his home is there, in the children's home, with the kids he has come to love and cherish. Though at times heartbreaking, this tale is an ultimately uplifting story about a group of children that were once lost but now have been miraculously found.I haven't read a lot of human interest memoirs over the past year, but I was really excited about this one. First off because Grennan seemed to be such a regular person, such an everyman, if you will. It was refreshing to see that his reasons for the trip to Nepal were essentially selfish but ended up having such positive and far-reaching effects. Conor also has the distinct ability to be genuinely funny writing about the children he comes in contact with and a good portion of this book made me smile. Whenever there was a scene of Conor interacting with the children, there was bound to be a flash of revelation from him, and as he grew to know them all, they came to love and respect him as a sort of surrogate parent. Conor also works with a few other volunteers from other parts of the world and this small handful of people become the children's be all and end all.It was sad to see how the parents were tricked into believing that by paying Golkka to take away their children, they would have a better life. Most of the children that were trafficked were simply meal tickets for the dangerous man, and after they had outlived their usefulness, they were relegated to a shack on the back edge of someone's property along with dozen of others to starve and become seriously ill. At times they were sold into child slavery, and finding these children became the toughest obstacle that Conor could ever face. The sad part was that even though Conor recovered a few dozen, there were countless others that he couldn't save. It was a sad testament that so many of these cases could have been avoided had the parents only been aware of what Golkka was really all about, and even sadder that it continued to happen, even after the story had ended.One of the hardest things to digest was the fact that the parents of the trafficked children could not take them back into their homes, even after they had been found and rehabilitated. Most of the time, they lived such hardscrabble existences that it was impossible for them to take these children home again. Often they were content to leave the children in Conor and the other volunteers' hands, confident that they would have better lives then they themselves could have given to their own offspring. Though there were many reconciliations, most of the children ended up staying in the children's home because the community could not feasibly absorb them back into the fold. The children didn't seem scarred by this though, and most of them were just happy to know that their parents were still alive, as many of them had been told that all of their family had died.I thought this story would be mainly given over to the trafficked children of Nepal, but to my surprise and delight, Conor finds a person to love throughout his mission to save the children. I really relished this aspect of the story because I believed that Conor was a really good guy and deserving of the love that he so obviously needed. The woman in question was a pretty rare specimen as well, and I believe there was something more than chance that brought them together. The children also found it gratifying that Conor had fallen in love, and grew to love his intended just as much as they loved him, which warmed my heart as well.This was a very interesting book not only in the story it told, but in the way it was presented and the feelings that it evoked in me. It was funny, sad and timely, and had the added benefit of starring the enigma that is Conor Grennan. I would urge anyone who is curious about the plight of child trafficking in Nepal to read this book, and as an added incentive, a portion of the proceeds from this book go directly to the Little Princes Children's Home. This book would also make a great choice for book clubs. A very touching read, filled with altruism. Recommended!
    • 4/5
      Little Princes begins with a self centered decision by Connor Grennan to volunteer at a Nepalese orphanage, and continues through his experiences with the children, often funny, to his efforts to reunite children with their families. The book highlights the plight of Nepalese children, not orphans, but victims of child trafficking during Nepal’s civil war. Amidst poverty, ignorance and civil war, Nepalese parents paid money on the promise that their children would be educated and would have a better life. Mr. Grennan’s determination to reunite trafficked children with their parents sparked the creation of Next Generation Nepal, a non-profit and the beneficiary of proceeds of the book. The story of the children and their parents is compelling; Mr. Grennan’s story much less so. Overall, the book is well worth reading.
    • 5/5
      Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan is a book very much in the vein of Three Cups of Tea. Grennan first went to Nepal in 2004 for what was supposed to be a relatively brief (few month) stay at the start of a one year trip around the world. Volunteering at the orphanage outside Kathmandu was supposed to be his "good deed" before his big, fun, responsibility-free adventure. Grennan did leave Nepal after his stint was up, but couldn't forget the children he had met and cared for there. He returned to Nepal again and again, eventually founding a non-profit, Next Generation Nepal, opening a second children's home, and beginning a quest to find the families of the children within the two homes. (Most of the children were not truly orphans, having instead been trafficked by men who promised to take the children to safety in Kathmandu for large sums of money from the parents).This was a captivating and engaging read. I finished it in two days and never wanted to put it down. It's not being published until February, but I highly recommended it once it is available.
    • 5/5
      My pastor often talks about ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary things and I can think of no better person to exemplify this belief than the author of Little Princes, Conor Grennan.You see, Conor is just a typical guy. He is bored with his job, enjoys hitting the bars with his friends and yearns to traverse the globe. So his friends are not too surprised when he quits his job, withdraws his life savings from his account and decides to take a year off to travel around the world. What they are surprised about is the two month stint he has planned in Nepal, volunteering at Little Princes, an orphanage in Godawari but he surmises it will be a great way to impress the ladies at the bars upon his return. When he arrives at Little Princes he is immediately welcomed by the children and is taken aback by their openness and cheerful attitudes despite extreme poverty and the loss of their parents. Before his two month stint ends he discovers that the children he has come to love are not orphans at all but victims of a child trafficker who received money from their parents with the promise that he is taking them to a better city where they will have a good education, plenty of food and a good home. Many, however, are simply deposited on the streets or sold into servitude. Conor vows to return and search for their parents.Conor proceeds to recount his story with the ease of a good friend sharing his adventure over a cup of tea. It will include surprises, suspense, romance, danger, humor and self discovery. It has all the elements of a great novel yet with the authenticity of a real life experience, an experience that changes the lives of so many people and is so appreciated. My ER copy indicates that the finished product will include some of the photographs taken by Conor and certainly must be seen to fully understand what he has done for these young children.Little Princes is a feel good book, it is a book that will remind even the most jaded of us that there are ordinary people like you who do extraordinary things and even may inspire the reader to find a way to make a positive difference in the world.
    • 4/5
      I have read a number of books over the years, both fiction and non-fiction, set in Asian countries close to the Himalayas. The majesty of this area of the world has me in thrall without me ever leaving my chair. The magnificence of nature here sometimes overshadows the human element but in the hands of the right writer, I can be equally captured by the reality of the people who live in these rugged, remote, and often terribly poor countries. But I didn't really have a good sense of the turmoil and poverty in the midst of all the grandeur, especially in Nepal. This book has changed that a bit for me and certainly put a human face (or faces) on the sad and desperate social situation facing this small mountainous country sandwiched between India and China.After eight years working for the EastWest think tank, Conor Grennan decided that he wanted to spend a year going around the world. To make his trip seem less frivolous, he signed up to start his journey in Nepal, volunteering at an orphange for 3 months. He didn't really have any experience with children and had very little idea what to expect at the Little Princes Children's Home. But working at an orphanage was certainly admirable and staved off criticism for his around the world year. At the outset, Grennan had no concept of how much the first three months of his journey would change him and how the children at the orphanage would burrow into his heart.Coming back to Nepal after his year in the world, he discovered, quite by accident, that the children at Little Princes (named for the St. Exupery character) were not in fact orphans. They had been rescued from child traffickers. And it was the desperate, unsuccessful race to pluck seven more trafficked children from the dire situation in which they were living, even as the civil war escalated throughout the country, that drove Grennan and his colleague Farid to create the NGO Next Generation Nepal. Their initial vow to find these seven children, stop the abomination of child trafficking, and find the families of all the lost children remains a driving force behind the organization.Ten years of civil war in Nepal caused more casualties than just among those fighting. When men went through remote villages and offered parents the opportunity to send their children to safety in Kathmandu, away from Maoist rebels who would forcibly conscript the children into their armies, to a place with abundant food, to a place where their children could receive an education, the parents gave everything they had to these men in return for the promise of a better life for the children. Unfortunately, the truth was that they paid these child traffickers who only turned around and sold the children into slavery, abandoned them to starve, or worse. It is these stolen children that Next Generation Nepal seeks to find and reunite with their families.Part travelogue, part coming of age tale, part love story, part social conscience, part crusade, part call to action, this tale is wonderfully told and completely engrossing. Grennan is honest about the hard realities of Nepalese life, the corruption found there, and the oftentimes ineffectual politics. But he writes beautifully, affectionately, and from the heart about the people, the place, and the children he carries in his heart forever. His self-deprecating humor shines throughout the narrative making for a highly entertaining read. As Grennan experiences life, learns and changes personally, searches nearly inaccessible villages for parents of the lost children, celebrates successes, and agonizes over failures in this struggling and impoverished country, the reader is swept into the childrens' lives as well as into Grennan's own developing personal life. I dare anyone turning these pages not to fall in love with the enchanting imps at Little Princes and invite them to root for Grennan as he makes the world a better place, one child, one family at a time.A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each copy of Little Princes will be donated to Next Generation Nepal and will help go towards getting more of these lost children out of the hands of child traffickers and home again.
    • 4/5
      I found this book to be a heartfelt story of one man's unexpected and somewhat unplanned mission to reunite children impacted by human trafficking. This is just the sort of book which should be required reading for college students to show how one determined person can make such a huge difference. I enjoyed the blending of the cultures and the description of the country, its traditions, and the people. The author included just enough background on the conflicts and politics of Nepal without overshadowing the human impact.
    • 5/5
      What a great way to start the year. This book is fantastic.
    • 4/5
      This book seems like two memoirs recklessly pulled into one. The first would be of the author's involvement with the trafficked children of Nepal and the establishment of a charity to help them find their homes. The other memoir would be how the author toured the world, haphazardly involved himself in a humanitarian effort, found his true love, and lived a happy ending. I found the stories of the trafficked children engaging and somewhat emotional. Additionally, the background given on the people of Nepal and the country's history were enlightening. I don't want to downplay the humanitarian efforts put forth by the author in helping these children; however, there was something that made his actions seem nonchalant and accidental once he started describing finding his now-wife and the ending to his life in Nepal, as though the children and the charity were the means to an end and not substantial in their own right. Had the author spent less time detailing his obsession with his wife and more time detailing the families and children, this book may have wonderful. As it is, it is still a great read.The main reason you should buy this book: part of the proceeds support the Next Generation Nepal charity. Secondarily, you learn yet another story that has been glossed over - perhaps never covered - by the American media.
    • 4/5
      While the author's journey is cliche, I found the tales of this poverty-stricken country endearing. The author starts out like a person trying to "find himself" and ends up with a new path through life. The stories about the children of Nepal pulled at my heart. Grennan does a great job of creating the characters and helping the reader feel an attachment to them. His tales of the treks to places unknown were captivating and left me wanting to know more about these journies and how he searched for families. As a reader, I wanted to know more about raising the funds for this venture or how the author funded his journey from the start.
    • 5/5
      Conor takes a three-month volunteer job at a children’s home in Nepal. Turned out to be a little longer than three months…It’s a refreshing story of someone who admits his ignorance—about children, Nepali customs, the challenges faced by that society, and the reasons behind difficult choices. But Conor learns. He grows as a person. He admits mistakes and begins again. And throughout it all, he has one goal: to help innocent children who cannot help themselves. It’s a heartwarming, truly touching story. I highly recommend it. As a bonus, part of the proceeds from the sale of the book go toward helping reunite children with their families and stopping the outrageous act of child trafficking.
    • 4/5
      This memoir is packed with adventure, humor, romance, and stories of incredibly joyful, loving children. It is so refreshing to read a story of a man who is willing to go to bat for children against such incredible odds and come out on top. What a beautiful story!
    • 4/5
      A terrific story, written in a witty, wry tone that had me hooked from early on. I sure hope it's true.
    • 5/5
      This is the story of the some of the lost children of Nepal - children who have been taken from their parents under false pretenses. Children who are made to work as slaves to the child trafficers who see them as a commodity, like a bag of rice. This is the story one man's attempt to make a difference in these childrens lives.Conor Grennan doing a volunteer stint at the Little Princes Children's Home Orphanage is out of his comfort zone. but he is only going to be there 3 months as he plans on traveling around the world. But something happens - he becomes attached to the children and their stories. "Little Princes" is about Grennan's attempt to find the parents of these children. It is not easy in war torn Nepal, especially when the children are from villages in the mountains and the only way to get there is to walk.Heartfelt, funny and well written, this book is a must read for those that believe that good things still do happen.
    • 5/5
      {{{sigh}}} sniff sniff... I will always remember this story! (blowing nose).It's an amazing, compelling journey of a brave, determined young man, Conor Grennan, set out to do whatever he could to save the children of Nepal. I sigh because I am still reeling over it. I would love to do what this man did. He had so much determination and will to walk, hike across the dangerous land to get to the homes of the saved children, to tell the parents their child are safe and alive. He doesn't stop there, he starts a non profit organization called Next Generation Nepal (click the link to take you to the website). From absolutely nothing, he had not a dime, he manages to raise enough money to start a home to save children. To save children from being sold and then left to be a slave or worse, to die of cold and starvation. An amazing, inspirational story that I highly recommend!
    • 4/5
      Great book! It was a quick read (I read it on two airplane flights) and very engaging. Reading this was hearing about a corner of the world rarely discussed in mainstream media. Unless you're interested/involved in the current adoption plight there (families stuck while waiting for visas for their adopted children), Nepal likely doesn't cross most people's minds unless they're thinking of Everest. Grennan's story was wonderfully told, gripping, and terribly sad and frustrating in parts. It's not often that you read a book and then want to get on a plane to help out,but this one was compelling in that way. I hope this book does very well when released nationally.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book! I didn't want to set it down. I found it very easy to connect to Conor Grennan through his inviting writing style. As I read, I was over joyed, sad, worried, excited and it felt like I was right there in Nepal too. I would say if you liked Three Cups of Tea you would definately enjoy this book.
    • 4/5
      I received this book as an early reviewer book. Little Princes is about a young American/Irish man, Conor, who spends time in Nepal working at an orphanage (for how it would look to others) during his "play year" around the world. While there, he becomes connected to the little children, who are not necessarily orphans at all, but victims of child traffickers taking advantage of parents trying to save their kids from the Maoist rebel army. The traffickers were paid huge sums (by village standards) to take the kids to safety, but instead they dumped them in illegal orphanages where the quality of care was horrid. Some of these children were rescued into orphanages like the one Conor was volunteering for, but many were not. Discovering this, Conor makes it his mission to help rescue, provide a home for, and help find the families of these children. The story and effort are heroic and well written; it is very reminiscent of Three Cups of Tea. My only complaint is that I find it hard to believe that *everything* this man touches succeeds. He is attempting to carry out these tasks in remote, under developed, and often corrupt areas of Nepal. Sure, his goal is commendable, but there must be parts of the story where he didn't have "just the right ally", or get lucky enough to be at the right place at just the right time, or be unable to track down every child's family; including these things in the book would make it more believable... as it is, it seems more like fiction where the entitled American can do anything, all live happily ever after and, by the way, boy gets girl.Since this was an early release, I'm hoping the final publication will include a map and photos.
    • 3/5
      Another book that I'm torn about how to review. The first half gets a solid 4 stars. The second half...maybe two. I forced myself to finish it (because in my quest to read 52 books this year, I didn't want to have wasted valuable reading time on a book I couldn't "count"!).

      I truly enjoyed the first half. I've finally learned that books about other places can be pretty interesting. I liked learning more about the war and unrest in Nepal and specifically the child traffiking. Somehow, in the second half, though, the book became much less about the children and more about the author and his personal quest. I do "get", on some level, that this is as it should be; the book, after all, is about the author's experience. But based upon the title of the book itself, I expected (and would have preferred) it to be more about "the lost children of Nepal."